My very personal weight-loss struggle: The How’s and Why’s (pt 1)

It’s no secret that I’ve been dealing with a shit-ton of things in my life, for a very long time. For the most part, I’m coping well, and I’ve not yet lost my mind completely. lol

One of the things that I struggle with most, on a personal level, isn’t directly related to being an Autism parent at all. Let me explain.

I’m struggling to lose weight.

I used to be a fitness nut. I was a body builder and worked out six or seven times a week for many years. That was how I coped with stress and depression, without the need of medications.

One day, about sixteen years ago, right before I met my wife, I was seriously injured on a paramedic run and my life was profoundly changed forever. I spent the better part of six months in bed, with very little mobility. I gradually was able to walk, but it took a lot of time,

The point is, my downward spiral began with an accident, that I never fully recovered from. The reason I mentioned this is because it helps to put into contrast, what part of this struggle was inside, and outside of my control.

I have no control over being injured, and how that’s impacted me on a physical or emotional level.

That being said, there is a large portion of this struggle that is the result of lacking discipline, plain and simple. There are major external influences, that certainly don’t help things, but at the end of the day, I have to own the choices I make.

If you’re an Autism parent, you are already aware of the indescribable level of stress we live under, every single minute of every single hour of every single day. We all manage this stress in different ways. Some of those ways can be really healthy, like writing a very intimate blog, detailing your journey as an Autism parent, and others are not so healthy.

While I personally work very hard at maintaining those healthy ways of managing my stress, I’m far from perfect and I succumb to the temptation that is food.

I’m doing so much better, but at the same time, it’s not good enough.

I owe it to myself, and my family, to lose weight.

My efforts have hauled the weight gain completely, and I’ve lost a total of eleven pounds. At the same time, I’m struggling to keep on the right path as things in my life become more and more challenging.

It’s far too easy for me to justify a late night snack because the day I just survived was hellacious. I tell myself that I’ll do better tomorrow, and sometimes I do, but not always. I don’t always have the strength to resist coping with food.

I had planned for this summer to be as active as possible, but that isn’t turning out like I was hoping it would. Between Lizze’s class schedule and the rather volatile nature of Autism, I can’t get or keep everyone on the same page.

It never fails that one of the three boys doesn’t want to go walking. This is something I can encourage but not force them to do. If you’re an Autism parent, you’re probably all too aware, that forcing a child with Autism to do something they don’t want to do, can lead to very unpleasant things.

I get frustrated and will sometimes write off that day, in regards to fitness goals.

This is something that I want to change for the better. I need to be more disciplined. I need to make better choice, and not ignore the ways that I could still reach my daily fitness goals, even if the kids are feeling cooperative. ☺

I’ve been giving this a great deal of thought, and I have come up with some ideas.

I have a plan, and I’ll share that in a follow-up post shortly, but right now I wanted to get my struggle out there and let that resonate before sharing my plan going forward.

Are you on a weight-loss journey? I’d love to hear your stories, as we can inspire each other to keep fighting the good fight. ☺

Take a second and answer today’s Autism Parenting poll

Autism Parents: How much sleep do you get each night?

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Varies...Diagnosed with severe narcolepsy so sleep schedule is nuts. Up for a couple of days sometimes. Sleep standing...9 stiches in lip, broken nose/concussion from another fall. By the grace of God, my 10 yr old daughter with autism (severe) finally decided she loves to go to bed!?!? Took some work and a lot of persistence! Think I developed PTSD from her sleep habits (15+/- mins at a time). Earlier ?/past•••life before autism/epilepsy/frustration/self harm/plain ole hard as hell at times?? Miss the hell out of it. However, would I go back to that time before my precious girl?? Absolutely not! Will I have questions for God when I meet Him face to face? At least 1... Why? Why did You do that to her?

My son still hasn't slept through the night as 4.5yrs (though we are making great progress after his OSA dx and treatment). We get up every 30 min to 2hrs typically and that usually amounts to a total of 4 hours for me and 6-8hrs for him.

Not enough for nearly 30 years. respite care is good, but I feel awkward leaving her.

First 10 yrs lucky if we slept 2 hrs. Then given prozac and has slept through the night (mostly) since then. 33 now he sleeps more since we had to add seizure medicine 3 yrs ago.

As of this morning, I’m down 16 pounds from 2 months ago. I’ve been tracking every morsel of food that I eat and that seems to be making the biggest difference for me. I have also been logging between 70 and 100 minutes of activity per day by rebounding and walking. I’ve changed my diet to include mostly lean protein and vegetables. I have bread (MAYBE) once a week and have pasta every 2 or 3 weeks and have cut out the majority of processed foods. I don’t want to give them up completely because that is a recipe for… Read more »

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1 year ago

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kimmy gebhardt

As of this morning, I’m down 16 pounds from 2 months ago. I’ve been tracking every morsel of food that I eat and that seems to be making the biggest difference for me. I have also been logging between 70 and 100 minutes of activity per day by rebounding and walking. I’ve changed my diet to include mostly lean protein and vegetables. I have bread (MAYBE) once a week and have pasta every 2 or 3 weeks and have cut out the majority of processed foods. I don’t want to give them up completely because that is a recipe for… Read more »

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

1 year ago

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